'2016: OBAMA'S America': Two Stars (Out of Five)

Following the example set by Michael Moore's 2004 documentary film 'FAHRENHEIT 9/11' conservative filmmakers Dinesh D'Souza and John Sullivan attempt to sway popular opinion and win some momentum back to Mitt Romney and the Republican party but as Moore's film failed to change that election I think D'Souza and Sullivan's equally sensational film will have no effect on this election. The film is based on D'Souza's book 'The Roots of Obama's Rage' and he and Sullivan co-wrote and co-directed it while D'Souza also narrates. It attempts to predict what the world will be like in 2016 if Obama is re-elected, under D'Souza's vision of what Obama's presidency is all about. The movie is exploitative filmmaking at it's fear mongering worst but it does have some decent visuals and production values.

The film opens with D'Souza telling of his experiences coming to America, from India, as a college student and editor for the conservative magazine Policy Review. D'Souza points out similarities between he and Barack Obama while telling of Obama's family history and growing up in Hawaii without a father. D'Souza attempts to draw the conclusion that much of Barack's political motivation has been influenced by a father (Barack Obama, Sr.) he never really knew and yet still idolized. He says that our President has been attempting to "reshape-America" according to his father's anti-colonialist views as well as the influences of other political figures he had growing up including Frank Marshall Davis, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Edward Said and Robert Unger. He labels Obama as an anti-American president due to supposed anti-colonialist views (which aren't anti-American to begin with).

The film is full of factual errors and lacks proof of any kind to support much of the hypothesis the filmmakers have come up with. Like a Michael Moore film it will 'preach to the choir' that's already been won over but have little to no effect on the undecided, moderates and certainly it's primary opposers. Unlike a Michael Moore film though it's also extremely slow paced and very dry. It's also very cheesy and scored with overly dramatic and somewhat sinister sounding music at times. The production values are decent, like I said though, and the cinematography is beautiful for the most part. As a film I think it does fail to do what it sets out to do (it won't have any effect on the election) and I of course don't agree with much of the information presented in it and think most filmgoers are too smart for a film like this these days as well. I think the internet and social media will have the greatest influence on this election due to the passion of US citizens just wanting to do the right thing and share the truth. That's why I think Obama will most definitely be re-elected and I'm glad most people are smart enough to see through lies and shitty films like this.

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